The Sprout

The

Newsletter for North Hinksey & Botley

Issue 163 Winter

2021

The Sprout

The Newsletter for North Hinksey & Botley

Directors: Janet Bartlam, Judi Bolder, John Clements,

Michael Cockman, Ag MacKeith, Robin Palmer

Editor

Ag MacKeith

South View House, Old Botley, OX2 0JR Tel: 724452 Editor@TheSprout.org.uk

Advertising Manager

Michael Cockman

50, St Paul's Crescent OX2 9AG Te l : 07766 317691 Adverts@TheSprout.org.uk

Deliveries

Bhee Bellew and Robin Cox

15 Seacourt Road, OX2 9LD Tel: 790648 Deliveries@TheSprout.org.uk

Copy Date: Copy by 15th of month preceding publication. Earlier submission is

welcome. Later contributions may have to be held over to the next issue.

Advertisements: If you have print-ready advertisements in the correct format the

last day for booking advertising is the 10th of the month preceding publication; in all

other circumstances more advance notice will be needed. For details about exact

sizes, quality requirements, advice on text and help with production, please contact

the Advertising Manager.

Advertising rates:

½ page: 1 issue £56; 3 issues £135; 5 issues £196; 10 issues; £336

¼ page: 1 issue £28; 3 issues £67.50; 5 issues £98; 10 issues; £168

1/8 page: 1 issue £14; 3 issues £33.75; 5 issues £49; 10 issues; £84

Subscriptions: If you live outside North Hinksey Parish you can still receive The

Sprout on a regular basis. Just take out a postal subscription – only £12 per annum,

delivered to your door. Contact: Carol Kramer 01865 243002.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information printed in this

newsletter, mistakes may happen. The Editor and Team apologize unreservedly for

any errors that may occur and will do their best to correct them. This publication is not

a vehicle of the parish council, and parish councillors working with the Sprout do so in

a personal capacity. Opinions expressed are the opinions of the individual

contributors.

All concerned in the production and delivery of The Sprout are unpaid volunteers.

The Sprout is printed by Dataprint Ltd, and published by North

Hinksey Parish Publications Ltd, (a company limited by

guarantee) Registration No. 05609535.

It can also be found online at BotleyHinksey.org.uk

The Sprout

Issue 163, Winter 2021

Contents

3 Letters to the Editor

5 Christmas Hampers

6 Remembrance day 2021

7 Friends of Raleigh Park

11 Counselling Carers

13 15th Scouts Out and About

15 News from Botley School

17 Seacourt Hall

19 For the Love of Trees

23 New Community Lottery

23 Your Distr ict Councillors

25 Roy Newport – a Tribute

29 Kennington Memory Club

29 Anglican Xmas Services

31 Botley Patients Group

35 Green Shoots

37 Planning Applications

38 Randoms

38 Local Organizations

From the Editor

Christmas is coming, and now’s our chance to bring some festive

cheer to local families who are feeling the pinch. Botley Bridges is

organizing family hampers. To apply for one, or to donate to one,

see page 5. See page 29 for Anglican Christmas services. For

others, phone numbers on inside back cover. Green issues

continue to dominate: there’s a letter defending garden parking

(p.3), an article about trees (p19), some signs of hope in our area

(p35) and information about Sustainable Botley, our new local

group to combat climate change (p6). Elsewhere, District

Councillors announce a new Community Lottery (p23), Friends of

Raleigh Park have had a productive year (p7), as have 15th Scouts

(p13), carers can now get some help (pp 11 and 29), and Seacourt

Hall needs a treasurer/ secretary (p17). A much loved local figure is

remembered on page 25, and the Patients Participation Group has

some practical advice on getting the best out of our local medical

practice (p31). The Sprout Delivery team is stepping down after ten

years on the job. Their role is vital – we will need a replacement for

our next issue, which will be in February. Please get in touch if you

can help. Meanwhile, a very Happy Christmas to all our readers.

Ag MacKeith

Letters to the Editor

Front garden parking

The last two editions of the Sprout have contained some rather one-

sided reporting on the subject of Front Garden Parking, that I think

needs challenging with a bit of pragmatism.

I too like the look of a nice front garden and it certainly has

wildlife benefits I'm sure, but car ownership is unfortunately a fact of

modern life and turning your front garden into a car park has

benefits:

o It reduces on-road parking, which can cause disruption to bus

services and emergency vehicles.

o It reduces parking on grass verges, which turns them into

muddy puddles and restricts pavement access for the disabled

in particular.

o Parking on the road and verges is dangerous for pedestrians,

especially children, as it creates blind spots when crossing the

road.

Going forward, front garden parking is more likely to increase, too,

because a lot of Elms Rise houses have driveways that are too

narrow for modern cars and actually most are shared drives anyway.

Couple that with the emerging need to charge your electric vehicle,

and I am really struggling to see how this can be achieved

otherwise. Extension leads across the pavements?

So, yes I can absolutely see the point, but there has to be balance

and pragmatism. How about a bit of "offset" with some of the lovely

rear gardens hidden behind those houses with front garden

parking?

Dave F.

Green Guide

I received the "Local green guide'' with the November Sprout.

But why such a tiny hard-to-read font?

Well meaning, I suppose, but rendered almost impractical by being

inaccessible to many.

A. Curmudgeon

Christmas Hampers for local families on low income

All hampers to be delivered by December 23rd

Botley Bridges Family Support, The Community Larder and Food for

Charities are again working together to spread some Christmas

cheer to local families in Cumnor, Botley and West Oxford. Last

year we distributed over 100 hampers, brimming with a variety of

food and gifts, all donated, packed and delivered by local volunteers.

With the continuing pressure on family incomes and rising prices

many families find Christmas a difficult time.

We are looking to our local community to spread some

Christmas cheer. Can you donate?

• Dried food

• Fresh fruit- oranges/bananas/ dates/ pineapple

• Christmas treats

• Wrapped gifts for children or adults - with a removable label

saying what the gift is and age/ sex it is suitable for

• Non alcoholic drinks

Donations can be dropped off at St Peter and St Pauls Church Hall,

Botley on Tuesday 21st December from 10-4pm. If you cannot drop

off at these times please email sue@botleybridges.org to arrange an

alternative venue and time. If you would like to volunteer to take in

deliveries, pack hampers or deliver please contact Sue Dowe as

above, or phone on 07769 275084.

Requests for a hamper from households on a low income can

be made by adults in the household or by adults on behalf of a

household by one of the following methods:

1. Online: the link will be on the Botley Bridges website at the

end of November www.botleybridges.org

2. Download a form from the Botley Bridges website and e- mail

to sue@botleybridges.org

3. Complete a form and hand it in to your school or pre-school –

schools will have hard copies available.

Thank you.

Sue Dowe, Chair of Trustees, Botley Bridges

Remembrance Day 2021

Following last year’s small scale NHPC Remembrance Day Service

due to Covid-19 restrictions, this year’s event returned to its normal

much larger format. It was fantastic to see such a high degree of

participation from so many military and civilian organisations, and of

course from local parishioners.

For the Council it was a great honour to have Claire Horton, OBE,

attending her first local Remembrance event since taking up her role

as Director General of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission,

and likewise a

privilege to have

Her Honour Ann

Campbell

representing the

Lord Lieutenant

of Oxfordshire.

We were grateful

to three Royal

Logistics

Regiment based

at Dalton

Barracks for

providing the

Honour Guard,

and for attendance by military representatives from further afield,

shown here laying the wreaths. . It was very satisfactory to see the

widespread participation by younger members of the community,

too, in including pupils from Matthew Arnold School who read so

eloquently during the Service, the musical contribution made by

members of the Oxfordshire Youth Brass Ensemble and the

presence of local Scout and Guiding groups. The active involvement

of these and other young person organisations is critical to

continuing the tradition. Particular thanks are also due to Max

Carter, who again played the Last Post at the 11th hour on the 11th

day in the West Way shopping complex. Finally, thank you to

everyone who contributed on the day to the British Legion, raising

over £250, and to the Botley W.I., who refreshed us afterwards with

hot drinks and home made biscuits.

Cllr Graham Fairclough

Friends of Raleigh Park

The Friends of Raleigh Park held their AGM on 11th November, by

Zoom for the second year. While COVID may have reduced the

number of events in the Park, there has been no lack of activity and

progress. This article summarizes the reports presented at the

meeting; fuller details will be found on the Friends’ website

(www.raleighpark.org.uk).

We offered many congratulations to Judy Webb, our ecological

champion, who was recognised first by inclusion in the Woman’s

Hour Power List for 2020, and subsequently by the award of the

British Empire Medal for services to Oxfordshire wildlife. We also

remembered Sue Cassettari, whose work on the Forest School at

North Hinksey Primary School was closely linked to the Park; the

Friends were glad to be able to contribute to the funding of a

memorial bench, which is now in the Forest School area.

The Wild Oxford Project, which has brought so much change to the

Park since 2016, has shifted its focus from direct work to the support

of local groups. The Friends will be working with the Friends of

Rivermead in the organisation of work parties, with Adam Bows as

our Volunteer co-ordinator, using tools donated by BBOWT. Andy

Gunn will still be our BBOWT patron, and will continue to provide the

expert advice that has served us so well. The City Council

volunteers will also continue to work in the Park under the

leadership of Carl Whitehead. We are already seeing the results of

the two/year project by the Freshwater Habitats Trust to rewet the

main fen by retaining the water which previously flowed through and

out of the Park. Rob d’Ayala has constructed some impressive leaky

dams, which have already restored many dry areas to their original

wetland state. The City Council have upgraded some of the Park

gates for better access. The Badger vaccination project, agreed at

our 2019 AGM, has finally started up in the Park and the grazing

field adjacent to it, which Barbara Witkowski reported on.

A lot of effort has gone into documenting the biodiversity of the Park.

Building on Judy Webb’s Wild Oxford reports, Adam Bows has

conducted a two-year project to assess the effect of management on

Wild Oxford sites, comparing Raleigh Park with Lye Valley and

Chilswell Valley. His results show significant increases in water

quality and fen flora in all sites, limited in Raleigh Park only by the

activity of the grazing cattle in munching through the year’s flower

production, with knock-on effect for numbers of pollinators and

nectar-feeding insects. There have been some notable successes,

including the reintroduction of the rare Grass of Parnassus which

had not been documented in the area since the Seventeenth

Century. The City Council are looking at innovative ways of

restricting the cattle’s movements, to protect flowering plants in

future years. The richness of invertebrate species was documented

by a study funded by the Freshwater Habitats Trust, which found a

wide range of species in the fen, including nationally rare insects,

particularly in the Long Southwestern Fen, also known as the

Ton g u e, wh i ch h as o nl y re ce n tl y be e n o p en e d up to m an a g em e n t

work. Our programme of supporting the bird population has

continued. Clive Smith reported on the birdboxes he has installed

and maintained, which have been well used by great tits and blue

tits, and the feeding station, now fully protected against squirrel

incursions, is back in operation. As well as small birds, buzzards

have been sighted over the Park, and Tawny Owls were seen

watching the early morning stages of the badger vaccination.

Development on the fringes of the Park continues to threaten its

stability. The Friends, with support from all the Wild Oxford

stakeholders, are actively contesting a proposal to build three large

houses on the most important part of the rainwater catchment area

of the fen, which would also require the destruction of a large badger

sett. We are grateful to Cllr Debby Hallett, to North Hinksey Parish

Council, and to Harold Grant for their help.

Our website, ably managed by David Brown, is now being

supplemented by regular Twitter posts using the hashtags

#raleighpark and #raleighparkoxford. Watch out in particular for

Adam’s sightings of exotic fungi, and his dialogues with Judy Webb

on plant identification...

Our thanks go as ever to Julian Cooper and Carl Whitehead of the

City Council Parks department, to Judy Webb who has been a

constant source of wisdom and advice, to Ellie Mayhew and the

Freshwater Habitats Trust, and to BBOWT and Andy Gunn. It is now

ten years since the Friends were founded, and we have seen many

changes in our beloved Park. We look forward to helping it continue

to flourish and provide pleasure to the community in the next ten

years. Stephen Parkinson

Counselling Carers Launches in Botley

Have you ever felt completely overwhelmed? That no-one really

understands what your life is like? All too often life can get on top of

us and we need someone to walk alongside us for a while, hearing

our pain, helping us through tough choices and to move forward.

As a Botley-based counsellor and psychotherapist with a personal

caring role, I have experienced first-hand the lack of emotional and

mental health support for carers, and the burden they carry alone

when there is no support in place. It was this crossover between my

personal and professional life that inspired me to do more to support

the most vulnerable in our society by caring for their carers, who

may themselves be struggling to process a loved-one’s diagnosis, or

the relentless everyday demands of care, and whose own difficulties

are often overlooked.

Caring for another person can be extremely rewarding, and most

carers are motivated by love and compassion. However, without

adequate support they can burn out and struggle to cope. At any

one time, 1 in 4 people in the UK is suffering with a mental health

problem. This is especially true for carers, who are often balancing

their own needs with those of the people they look after. They may

feel overwhelmed, depressed or anxious, but their responsibilities

mean they put their own mental health needs to one side. And so,

having got together as a dedicated group of other carers and

professionals, we decided to do something about it.

After many months of discussions (and paperwork!), Counselling

Carers was born: a social enterprise that specialises in counselling

and psychotherapy for carers. This includes those caring for

disabled or elderly relatives, children with Special Educational

Needs, adults with learning disabilities, Looked After Children, and

those who work in the caring professions. We support people of all

ages and from all walks of life, giving confidential space to talk to a

qualified professional about the struggles they face.

Whether you are young or old, have recently become a carer, or

have been one for years, Counselling Carers is here to help. We

give you space to process your feelings, find healing, and be em-

powered to be resilient. To find out more visit our website

www.counsellingcarers.org or give us a call on 07309 255133.

Jenny Pillar

15th Scouts Out and About

With Christmas nearly here and being outside feeling like a distant

memory, we look back at the 15th Oxford Summer of Scouting.

The pinnacle of our year and every leader’s favourite week of

Scouting is our annual Summer Camp, which this year took place at

Hill End. In a large field complete with fire pit, we took 10 Scouts and

6 Cubs away to sleep under canvas. For most this was not only their

first night in a tent but also their first night away from their parents!

Here is how one Scout summed it up:

As a first time camper with the 15th this is my record of all the

ups and downs (not that there were any downs, it was great)

and the great experience. For 4-and-a-bit days we camped in a

field at Hill End. The Cub pack even came for a day. We all

learned a lot of important life skills. We cooked our own food

and put up our own tents. Afterwards I felt a lot more

independent. I don’t think a better learning experience for

children of a wide variety of ages exists.

And that’s without mentioning the obstacle courses they completed,

the climbing wall, silly sports, practical first aid, pioneering, team

building, glow-stick games in the dark and much more!

This year we embarked on a trip into Oxford with the Scouts and a

few Cubs. The day started with a treasure hunt, taking in many

landmarks and tourists spots, with questions and clues along the

way to test their observation skills. Time was spent in the Ashmolean

Museum, which inevitably turned into ‘ghost stories’ as we passed

the Ancient Egyptian Mummies. This was followed by a refreshment

break at the Westgate Social, with the Cubs putting into practice

their recently learned Money Skills badge. Lastly was a round of

Junkyard Golf, with the consensus being that more ‘sports’ should

use UV lights and cheesy 90’s disco music to attract a younger

audience.

It’s amazing what we at the 15th Oxford Scouts can fit into a Friday

evening, a day trip or weekend away, or week long camp. For more

info, or if you or someone you know wants to get involved, check out

our website https://sites.google.com/site/15thoxfordscouts/

Tom F reem an

News from Botley School

You may not know it, but Botley School has amazing outdoor places

– a huge field, a nature reserve, an adventure grove and an area of

woodland. The children have the chance to learn and play outside

on a regular basis, and even more so this year. Two members of

staff have completed their Forest School training (based at Hill End

Outdoor Education Centre) and as a result, each class from Nursery

to Year 6, now has an afternoon a week for half a term exploring and

learning outdoors in their Forest School sessions. The autumn has

been particularly fun with scavenging activities and a pumpkin trail.

There are plans to develop the children’s skills as they progress

through the school, with den building, use of tools and fire lighting on

the agenda. And as far as mental health and well-being is

concerned, what could be better than a scamper and game in the

colourful autumn leaves?

If you would like your child to have fun in Forest School then it's that

time of year when our EYFS team are supporting parents in applying

for a school place, ready for their child to start in September 2022.

For those children who were born between 1st September 2017 and

31st August 2018, parents are now able to apply for their Reception

school place through the OCC website. We have two open events

for prospective parents, on Thursday 2nd December and Thursday

6th January, from 3.45pm. We are

inviting parents into school to have a

tour of the school and meet our

EYFS staff – perhaps a look around

our grounds? We will have a

meeting to discuss what our school

is like and provide support for

applying for a school place. If you

are interested in attending these

events, please email our EYFS lead

Laura Jones for details on:

earlyyears@botley.oxon.sch.uk

Karen and Adam, Forest School

Leaders

The tented area in Forest School

Secretary / Treasurer for Seacourt Hall

Seacourt Hall Management Committee (SHMC) is looking for

someone to take on the role of Secretary and Treasurer. The role

receives an honorarium of £1000 a year plus £10 a month for

miscellaneous costs.

Seacourt Hall moved to its new location in West Way Square at the

start of 2020 and, following the interruptions of lockdowns, the

operation has now settled into a stable routine and the hall is thriving

as a flexible community facility at the centre of Botley.

The Treasurer’s job is to help trustees carry out their financial

responsibilities. Accounts are based on the bank account. The

payroll is outsourced and there are only a few invoices to be paid

each month. Hire invoices are sent out from our online booking

system.

The Secretary role involves setting up and minuting 4 to 6 meetings a

year, being the point person for contact with the Charity commission,

and acting as the custodian of our governing document.

The combined role of Secretary and Treasurer would suit someone

with some accounting, finance or similar experience, a good

understanding of financial management and reporting. There is more

information about Seacourt Hall here www.seacourt hall.org.uk.

Initially please send expressions of interest to Lorna Berrett,

Chairman of Trustees, at lberrett.nhpc@gmail.com

For the Love of Trees

Every Autumn, people

re-connect with trees.

They gather the ripe nuts

and fruits, which

sustained our ancestors

throughout the bleak

months when little food

was available. The

turning leaves create an

explosion of russet, red

and gold, but then they

fall, leaving behind black

skeletons. We will miss them until the spring. The ugly old sheds

and raw new buildings that were hidden all year are now clearly

visible.

Britain in the distant past was a place of trees. Not the deep dark

forest of fairytales, but wood pasture with areas of open grassland

where animals foraged. The trees provided wood for building and

fuel for fires. Our world-renowned navy was built with wood from

thousands of oaks. The Industrial Revolution felled thousands more.

In Britain, the percentage of land covered by trees is now smaller

than in any other European country. Every year more trees are

destroyed by disease, and by the advancing tide of development.

Movement of goods brought in the fungus which wiped out our Elm

trees. Now millions of Ash trees are being destroyed by Ash

Dieback. We may not be able to control disease, but we can fight

insensitive planning decisions, and make sure those trees which

have been lost are replaced.

Planting trees is relatively easy. Making sure that they survive is a bit

more of a problem. They need lots of water and tending in the early

stages. The hot summers that are now common in Britain are

creating drought conditions that can kill off newly planted trees. In

the cold months, they may die of exposure. The best way to protect

them is to surround them with nursery shrubs, as is now the norm in

planted sections of supermarket carparks. It works, and the flocks of

birds, like Waxwings, which descend on them in the Winter are very

grateful.

In Blenheim High Park, there are ancient Oaks, alive since the time

of William the Conqueror. Cumnor Fit4Future (www.cumnorf4f.org/

ancient-oak-tree-survey) has a project to find and record all the

ancient Oaks in their parish.

In Scotland, tree replacement is taken seriously: old patches of

native trees are being connected up by new planting. I had the

privilege to plant Scots Pines on denuded hillsides at the Trees For

Life site at Dundreggan. It was hard physical work, but very

rewarding. Fencing keeps out the deer (which love to eat the young

bark) until the trees have become established, and the programme

is very successful.

The Woodland Trust is putting a lot of effort into protecting existing

woodland and planting up new ones. It is much better to expand an

old wood than to create a completely new one because the

woodland ecosystem is already in place. But woodland needs

management. To get a floral carpet in the Spring, there must be

enough light reaching the forest floor. Climate change has meant

that the leaves appear a little bit earlier every year and this creates

unwelcome shading. One day it may have an adverse effect on the

glorious swathes of bluebells that we can experience locally at

Shotover Plain and Besselsleigh Wood.

Trees are carbon dioxide sponges. They take it in through their

pores and convert it into leaves and wood, forming a store of locked-

up carbon. So, the more trees the better. But they have to be the

right trees in the right place. The Oak trees in St Paul’s Crescent are

a delight. They look magnificent and bring in flocks of birds like the

beautiful blue Jay to feast on their acorns.

An Oak tree in a suburban garden may not be such a good idea

because of its size. Smaller ’hedgerow’ trees will fit in much

better, like the new Bird Cherry tree behind the new signage

opposite McDonalds. This not only a very pretty tree with blossom

that enhances a rather bleak patch of short grass, but the birds and

insects will benefit. Indeed, if you want birds to inhabit an area, you

must have trees preferably growing in dense hedges. They are

essential as nest sites and places to forage for food. Chris Church

has ordered up a stash of ‘whips’ – single thin stems that will be

trees after a year or two – for planting in and around Botley on

December 5th. Did you join him last year? If not, here’s another

chance. Louie Memorial Upper Field, December 5th, 11am.

But, it has to be said, not everyone is equally keen on trees. Some

people like neat and tidy and become upset about leaves falling on

their carefully mown lawns. If a tree is too tall, it might cut out light

from a window, so that daytime lighting is necessary. But tree shade

can be welcome where too much light falls on a window. We will

need more of such shade as the summers become fiercer. Trees

planted around a house will keep it cooler in the summer. And the

local birds will love you for it…

Linda Losito

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

New Community Lottery

The White Horse Community Lottery is an exciting

weekly lottery, set up by the Vale of White Horse

District Council. You can buy tickets – which are £1

each – to be in with a chance of winning cash and

other prizes, but more importantly, this lottery is

designed to raise much needed funds for charities

and initiatives that benefit local people.

Whether you are part of an organisation looking for funds, or

someone interested in playing the lottery to help the good causes

registered, you can find out more at www.whitehorselottery.co.uk

District Councillor Surgery Dates

Face-to-face District Councillor Surgeries are starting up again.

Residents are invited to drop by to speak to Cllrs Emily Smith and

Debby Hallett about any council matters at the following event:

The surgery on Friday Dec 3rd, will once again be held at the

Missing Bean Café, West Way Square, Botley, from 1:30–3pm.

If you need to reach Emily or Debby you can get in touch with them

at any time via debby.hallett@whitehorsedc.gov.uk, 07545 241013

Roy Newport – a Tribute

Roy was born in the Spring of

1937. His childhood along with

his two brothers and two

sisters was coloured by the

deprivations of wartime and

shaped by hard family

circumstances. He grew up in

West Street, Osney, in a

house without running hot

water or indoor sanitation.

Although he could have

avoided National Service, his

mother encouraged him to

take this opportunity to

broaden his horizons. There

are many stories from his time

in Germany, and especially his

time in Cyprus during the

conflict there. His attachment to the military and to those who

serve veterans continued throughout his life and he gave

outstanding service at this time of year to the Royal British

Legion, standing out in all weathers to sell poppies as both an

act of fundraising but also of respect. His last collection,

outside Waitrose, netted £2,271 – the tins were almost too

heavy to carry!

Roy had left school at 14 and after National Service returned

to working for his uncle’s firm where, training with experienced

craftsmen, he learned a range of building trades and skills. He

spent the last 25 years of his working life at the Radcliffe

Infirmary in the maintenance team, where he was widely

known and appreciated, not only as one able to turn his hand

to so many different jobs, but also as a good colleague who

enjoyed a laugh and joke.

When, in the 1980s, the local County Councillor recruited a

leader to re-start a youth club in Botley, she advertised for

volunteers and both Roy and Briony responded. Within a

month the Youth Leader had left and Roy took over and

continued for the next decade.

Practical service and a willingness to take on responsibility

without fuss were hallmarks of so many of the roles Roy

undertook. He was a member of Botley Baptist Church for

more than thirty years, a Deacon and for many years helping

with the Saturday coffee shop, with Jumble Sales and

providing all manner of practical support for the Church and

the Community. He was a founder member of the Sprout, and

organized the deliveries for the first five years. He also helped

found the original Botley Health Walks, in response to the then

Government’s Look After Your Heart campaign.

His sporting interests stretched from football, playing for the

county youth team and for around 15 years for the Gas

Company Team, to darts and bowls. These latter interests

continued until ill-health curtailed them.

As for Roy and Briony, she was just 16 when they met and

they were married a couple of years later in 1959. The

marriage lasted for 62 years. She would say it was a

relationship of opposites. I’m not so sure, different

personalities, true enough. But so much shared commitment to

family, to friends and to community. Devoted, loving, support-

ive and generous in so many ways; an example to us all.

And for Roy a supporting role for his energetic wife in public

perhaps, but the final arbiter in private. He may not have said

much but when he spoke matters were settled. A man of great

emotional intelligence making it easy for family members and

those in the wider community to turn to him to seek advice, to

unburden or just to find a friendly listener.

Uncomplaining and resolutely cheerful he coped with failing

health as he had coped with all other hardships and setbacks:

with quiet determination and humour. A very special man.

[taken from Nigel Appleton’s funeral address]

Kennington Memory Club has had a busy autumn. As well as run-

ning the twice weekly daycare sessions for people with a diagnosis

of dementia, there have been two fund-raising events: a Cream Tea

and Sale of Goods on a Saturday afternoon in Kennington with lots

of yummy scones and cakes; and more recently an Autumn Fayre in

Abingdon. Both of these were well supported which was gratifying

for those organising and volunteering to help out. Would you like to

join our band of volunteers for these events? They are great fun and

so rewarding. The club couldn’t make ends meet without on-going

fund-raising, so any ideas for new events would be welcome.

You don’t have to live in Kennington to join us. Our members come

from a much wider area, including Botley, Cumnor and Boars Hill. So

if you are interested in a place for a relative or friend with a diagno-

sis of dementia from anywhere within reach of Kennington please do

get in touch with our organiser, Helen, on 07852 883496 or visit our

website www.kenningtonmemory club.org.uk

Happy Christmas and New Year to you all.

Isobel Birse

Local Anglican Christmas Services

Sunday 19th December

6.00pm Carols by Candlelight at St. Lawrence, North Hinksey

Christmas Eve, 24th December

9.30am Morning Prayer at St. Peter and St. Paul, West Way, Botley

4.30pm Christingle Service at St. Peter and St. Paul.

11.30pm Midnight Communion at St. Lawrence, North Hinksey

Christmas Day, 25th December

9.30am Holy Communion at St. Peter and St. Paul

11.30am Holy Communion at St. Lawrence

Boxing Day, Sunday 26th December

9.30am Holy Communion at St. Peter and St. Paul.

Day Centre News

Getting Help at Botley Medical Centre

A Short Guide

The Patients Participation Group has been working with the Botley

Medical Centre as it seeks to improve its service.

Here is a short guide to help patients during this time:

1. Use a Livi appointment if you can. These are being under-used

currently, so please do download the app onto your smart phone

or your computer and give it a go if you think it might work for

you. (https://www.livi.co.uk/download/)

You can have a Livi appointment at the weekend or in the evening

as well as during normal surgery times, and you can forward book

them too. Livi GPs are trained in our local healthcare system. They

can do anything your usual GP can do, but they do it online,

including making referrals, issuing prescriptions to a chemist near

you, issuing fit (formerly ‘sick’) notes and organizing blood or urine

tests if you need one.

Please do ensure we have the correct contact details for you if you

are using these appointments, so we can get in touch with you if a

follow-up is needed. You can update them yourself here:

https://www.mysurgery website.co.uk/secure/cod.aspx?p=K84025

Also, please note that you will not be contacted about test results if

they are normal, only if you need to have a follow up discussion. If

you install the NHS app then you can also check your results

yourself.

2. Book appointments with Clinicians rather than the GPs if you

can, as there are other Clinicians at the practice who can help, as

described in the October update. Please do accept an

appointment with a Clinician rather than a GP if the receptionist

suggests it. It is better to call in the afternoon if you know you

need to book an appointment with someone other than a GP.

3. Order your repeat prescription through your pharmacy or at

the surgery in plenty of time, but no more than a week in

advance for safety reasons. Please be aware that GPs are not

able to issue certain medications more than 48 hours in advance.

4. Book Covid-19 jabs through the NHS website

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-

vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/

You can choose where to receive it (could be the Kassam Stadium,

a pharmacy or somewhere else in Oxfordshire). Appointments come

up at different times so it is worth checking again if you have not

been able to find one suitable the first time you look. The PPG may

be able to help with lifts after you have secured an appointment. You

can also ‘walk-in’ to Kassam between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the

moment, provided it is more than 6 months and a day since your

second vaccination

Our next PPG meeting (by Zoom) is on Tuesday December 14 at 6

p.m. The subject: 'What your pharmacy has to offer' – contact me at

csugden@ocrpl.org for a link. Chris Sugden

Green Shoots

Thames Water made to pay

People concerned about sewage pollution in the Seacourt Stream

will be pleased to hear that Thames Water was fined £6 million at

Aylesbury Crown Court on 19th November. The judge described

their actions in polluting the river in 2016 as ‘reckless’. TW agreed

they had not sufficiently maintained the local sewage system. They

only had to pay two thirds of the fine as they had admitted liability

last March. In the grand scheme of things, this was not a lot of

money for them, but the judge made the point that it was not to

come from their customers, but from their profits. They insisted they

were doing things better now. Let us hope so. They certainly weren’t

just a year ago, when the smell of sewage floating up to a parish

councillor cycling over the bridge by Richer Sounds prompted the

PC to send Thames Water a stern letter.

Sustainable Botley

This new group which has

come into existence to do

what we can collectively to

reduce the local impact on

the climate crisis, met

recently to formalise its name

and aims, and to decide on a

programme of action. The

aims were twofold, and not

complicated:

• To work to improve our

environment in Botley,

North Hinksey and the surrounding area and

• To support local engagement with the climate and ecological

crisis.

In the short term, there will be tree planting on the Upper Memorial

Field at 11am on 5th December. Trees are available for gardens as

well, and ideas for further planting are invited. Next year we will

address issues around energy saving in the home, thinking about

how to reduce our carbon footprints without breaking the bank, and

what options might be available when gas boilers are no longer

permitted. Presumably grants will become available. There is a lot of

local knowledge to draw on, which is just as well, because we’ll

need all the help we can get! A repair café is being lined up, and we

also want to investigate water quality in and around Botley – not just

the river, but all the little streams as well. If any of this interests you,

please get in touch, initially via editor@thesprout.org.uk, while an

email account is set up. For ways to join, see page xxx. (Photo

shows Botley at the climate march in Oxford on 6th November.)

Proposals for a Solar Farm ‘up the top’

Solar2, a British company with a handful of offices around the

country, are proposing to install a solar farm for a 21MW site in the

field on your left as you walk past the Jubilee Beacon. It could

produce around 7000 homes’ worth of clean renewable energy,

offsetting around 12,000 tonnes of carbon, or the equivalent of 2,600

cars’ worth of emissions. Hitherto, the two fields on either side of the

path have had swathes of oilseed rape and wheat, so the soil is not

currently in a good state.

The company are also looking at ecological improvements to the

site, which could include wildflower meadow planting, locally

managed beehives, and wildlife habitats – for example, the muddy

bottom the field might be a suitable place for a pond. They aim for a

biodiversity net gain on site, which means that it will be more

improved for local plants and wildlife than it currently is (not hard!).

They intend to consult the public in November, with an in-person

exhibition at a local venue, and an online webinar to give local

people a chance to find out more and have their say.

The material they referenced

in their proposal suggests

they have a good

understanding of the need for

hedges, and it’s easy to see,

as one walks over that

windswept hill, that hedges

have been lost. A hedge by

the path, especially one that

was low and thick, so it did

not obscure the view, but with

the odd tree, would be of real benefit to wildlife and to the feel of the

place. Expect to hear more about this soon. (The photo shows the

community-owned solar an wind farm at Westmill, on the edge of the

county.)

LOCAL PLANNING APPLICATIONS

P21/V3002/HH

52 Hurst Rise Rd. Replacement garage

with home office over.

20 October

TDD: 15 Dec

P21/V3015/LDP

Ardmore, Stanton Rd. Single storey

detached outbuilding for home office.

21 October

TDD: 16 Dec

P21/V3098/LDP

14 Lime Rd. Demolish garage. Erect

single storey outbuilding on same plot.

1 November

TDD: 27 Dec

P21/V3123/FUL

Whitwick, Grosvenor Rd, Harcourt Hill.

Demolish existing house, erect 3 x 5-

bed houses, with parking, private

amenity space, bin & cycle storage.

3 November

Target D ecision

Date:

29 Dec

P21/V3149/HH

29 Stanley Close. Single storey rear

extension & first floor side extension.

5 November

TDD: 31 Dec

P21/V3118/HH

3 Chestnut Rd. Double storey side &

single rear extension.

8 November

TDD: 3 Jan

Randoms

Sprout Deliveries URGENT

Bhee and Robin are retiring after ten years of masterminding the

Sprout network of deliverers. This month will be their last. They will

be a hard act to follow, but the good news is that all their systems

are now in place, and don’t need to be reinvented. Is there someone

out there who can take over this vital job for February 2022 and

beyond? You don’t get paid, but you do get a warm glow to think that

you are playing a valued part in our community. It’s just one evening

a month, and without you the Sprout can’t function. Please get in

touch with editor@thesprout.org.uk if you think you can help.

Everyone will love you for it! Editor

Sustainable Botley

After three lively meetings over the past few weeks, we have decid-

ed what Botley needs is a local Community Action Group! Communi-

ty Action Groups (CAGs) bring together proactive people to help

create positive change in the local environment.

Our focus is on cost-effective, peaceful, proactive and positive

change starting at home. We will help each other take small steps

into a brighter, healthier, happier and more sustainable future.

Do you want to join us? We are still in the very early stages, so we

don’t have an email address yet. But you can get in touch with me,

Anita, for an informal chat, via the Sprout initially (editor

@thesprout.org.uk). We would love to hear from you.

Merry Christmas, Seasonal Greetings and Happy Holidays everyone!

Anita on behalf of Sustainable Botley CAG.

Botley W.I.

Building work is coming on well at the WI hall in North Hinksey Lane.

Our 7th December meeting will be a Christmas social with enter-

tainment from “Mother Folkers,” who have been rehearsing in our

hall. We will have light refreshments and visitors are welcome. We

shall have a Christmas flower workshop on 11th December with Ann

Dawson. We look forward to 4th January and a talk about the Tap

Social movement which brews – and purveys – “criminally good

beer” in their microbrewery in nearby North Hinksey industrial estate.

Call 07598 251161 for more details. Alison Jenner

Skate Park

The Skate Park has now gone out to tender via the official councils’

tendering platform, and

attracted interest from five

firms. One, which has been

building parks in Norway

for over ten years, and in

England for the past two,

turns out to have been set

up by someone who cut his

teeth (so to speak) on the

Botley Bowl. They sent us

this atmospheric photo of

him at the Bowl in 2005 (photo credit Alex Burrell).

Community Larder needs volunteers – suit Duke of Edinburgh

award type, Scout or anyone community-spirited!

The Botley community larder provides low-cost food that would oth-

erwise be thrown away – an environmental and social win-win –

every Thursday afternoon at St

Peter & St Paul Church

Hall. We need a few more vol-

unteers for the 3:45--5:45pm

shift to join our excellent team.

The work involves helping lar-

der members to choose food

until 5pm, and then moving ta-

bles and crates of food into

storage. Volunteers must be

16+ or 14+ and enrolled on a

formal volunteering pro-

gramme. We also need a few

drivers to deliver food parcels

to people who are house-

bound. Anyone interested

should contact botleylar-

der@email.com. Thank you.

Doc Saman

Organizations: If your organization is not listed here, please send details

to editor@thesprout.org.uk or telephone 724452 for inclusion.

1st Botley Brownies

Girls aged 7–10

Dean Court Community Centre Thur 6–7.30 Jean

Metson, firstbotleybrownies@gmail.com

2nd Botley Brownies

Girls aged 7–10

Rosary Room, Yarnells Hill. Tues 6:15-7:45 Alison

Griffin 2ndbotleybrownies@outlook.com

4th Oxford Scout Group

Beavers, Cub Scouts, Scouts

mail@thefourth.org.uk Website:

http://www.thefourth.org.uk/

15th Oxford Scout Group

Boys and girls welcome

Fridays, Cubs 6.30-8, Scouts 8-9.30, 1 Church Way, Botley

Amy Cusden (Cubs) 07887 654386, Tom Freeman (Scouts)

07837 623768 xvoxfordscouts@yahoo.co.uk

Baby & Toddler Group

Tues/Thurs 9.15–11, SS Peter & Paul Church Hall

BikeSafe. B4044 community

path campaign

Wants to connect Botley to Eynsham. Meets every 6-8

weeks. Contact via website B4044path.org

Books on Wheels R.V.S.

Free Library Service for housebound Ox. 248142

Botley Boys & Girls F.C.

Football teams from ages 8-16

Brendan Byrne 792531 brendan.byrne999@gmail.com

Botley Community Larder

Thursdays, 3.30 to 5.30 at St P&P Church Hall, West

Way, Facebook or email botleylarder@gmail.com

Botley and Kennington

Patients Participation Group

Second Tuesday in the Month, early evening. Contact

csugden@ocrpl.org

Botley Library

07922 849680. Open till 7 on Friday and 1pm on Sat,

otherwise 9.30 to 5.30 (closed Wednesdays).

Botley Seniors Lunch Club

Alternate Thursdays. Seacourt Hall. Jackie Warner

Ox.721386

Cumnor Choral Society

Rehearsals Friday 7.45 to 9.45 pm John May 07795 054142

or www.cumnorchoralsociety.wordpress.com

Cumnor Chess Club

Thurs 7–9pm Cumnor Old School. Steven Bennett

01993 684494 www.cumnorchessclub.co.uk

Cumnor & District

Historical Society

Last Monday of the month 7.30-9.00 Cumnor Old

School. 01865 724808

Cumnor Gardening Club

http://cumnorgardens.org.uk/ or phone 01865

721026

Harmony InSpires, Ladies'

Acappella Singing Group

Wed 7.30 at Marcham Centre, OX13 6TY. Email us at

info@harmonyinspires.org to know more

Hill End Volunteer Team

Contact: David Millin on david.millin@hill-end.org,

call 863510 or visit www.hillend-oec.co.uk

Lawn Tennis Club, N Hinksey

Family club Email: Tennis@OxfordSportsLTC.org

Let’s Sing! – singing group

Weds 2pm, WOCC, Emily 07969 522368 or email

emformusic@outlook.com

Morris Dancing – Cry Havoc

Barbara Brett 249599 or bag@cryhavoc.org.uk

North Hinksey Preschool

and Childcare clubs

Mon–Fri 7.45am–6.00 pm. Tel 794287 or email

nhps.manager1@gmail.com

N Hinksey Art Group

Weds 10–12.00 W.I. Hall Christina 07931 707997

N Hinksey Bellringers

Contact: Ray Rook 01865 241451

N Hinksey Conservation

Volun teers

Meets at weekends Contact Voirrey Carr

07798743121 voirreyc@aol.com

N Hinksey, Friends of

Annual Cricket Match/ Walk. Douglas Bond 791213.

N Hinksey Parish Council

clerk@northhinksey-pc.gov.uk

N Hinksey Youth Club

Weds at LM pavilion, Daz: 07791 212866 or F’book

Oxford Flood Alliance

R Thurston 01865 723663 or 07973 292035

Oxford Flower Arranging Club

4th Thursday Cumnor. Dympna Walker: Ox 865259

Oxford Harmony

Wednesdays 7.30 – 9.30 pm at Seacourt Hall,

Contact pro@oxfordharmony.co.uk

Oxford Otters

Swimming for people with disabilities. Sundays,

twice monthly. Contact: Alan Cusden 723420

Oxford Rugby Club

Boys and girls from 5, kevin.honner@ntlworld.com

Seniors, training etc jbrodley@chandlings.org.uk.

Raleigh Park, Friends of

raleighpark@raleighpark.org.uk

Seacourt Hall Management

Committee

Contact Lottie White, 07452 960100, or see

https://www.seacourthall.org.uk

Shotokan Karate Club

6+ WOCC twice weekly Martyn King 07836 646450

Stagecoach Botley

Seacourt Hall, Saturdays 9:00am–15:00pm

Performing Arts for 4-16 yr-olds. Call 01865 590 510

or 01235 390 810

Walking for Health

2nd & 4th Saturdays 9.50 Louie Memorial Field car

park, Arnolds Way. Alan 07941 610913

West Oxford Bowls Club

Contact details on

www.westoxfordbowlsclub.co.uk

West Oxford Taekwon Do

Club

Mon, Thurs 6.30-8pm, MA gym, contact Chris Hall

01865 570291 www.wotkd.co.uk

West Oxford U3A

(Uni of the 3rd Age) http://westoxfordu3a.org.uk/

West Way Day Centre

Mon & Fri 10–3pm, Field House, 07740 611971.

oxfordshirehub@royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk

Women’s Institute (Botley)

Alison Jenner 07598 251161

alisonjenner@yahoo.com

Weight Watchers

Thursdays 6pm at SS Peter & Paul Church Hall

Banso tel: 07779 253899 bansob@aol.com

Baptist Hall

1 Church Way

Contact: Diane Melchert 01865 243664

hall rent botleybaptistchurch@gmail.com

The Rosary Room

Yarnells Hill, Elms Rise

Contact Maria Brown,

Te l : 0 1 8 6 5 2 4 7 9 8 6 .

SS Peter & Paul Church

Hall, West Way, Botley

Contact: 01865 242057 or

osneybenefice@outlook.com.

Women's Institute Hall,

North Hinksey Lane

Contact: Val Warner

Te l . 0 1 8 6 5 2 4 5 2 7 3

Seacourt Hall,

3 Church Way

Contact: Lottie White on 07452 960100,

or email admin@seacourthall.org.uk

Pavilion, Arnold’s Way,

Elms Rise, Botley

Contact: Darren Blase 241254

louiememorialpavilion@gmail.com

Oxford Rugby Club,

North Hinksey Village

Contact:. Mary Bagnall

mary.bagnall1@btinternet.com.

North Hinksey & Botley Churches

Times of Services (once resumed) and Contacts

St. Lawrence, Church of England, North Hinksey Lane

1st, 2nd, 4th Sunday, Sung Eucharist 11.30 a . m .

3 rd Sunday, Matins 11.30 am

St. Peter and St. Paul, Church of England, West Way

2nd Saturday each Month, 4–6pm Messy Church for children and carers

1st Sunday of the Month, 9.30am All Age service of Holy

Communion

All other Sundays, 9.30am Holy Communion with activities for children

Every Wednesday, 10.30am Holy Communion at Field House

Rev Clare Sykes, Tel. Ox 242345 or revclare@btinternet.com

Our Lady of the Rosary, Roman Catholic, Yarne lls Hill

Saturday 6.30 pm. Mass

Sunday 9.15 am Mass

Fr Lloyd. 07584 323915 dlloyd@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk.

Botley Baptist Church, 1 Church Way

Sunday Service 11 am.

Wednesday Zoom Bible Study 7.30 p.m.

Choir practice Thursday 2p.m.

D Melchert, secretary 07847 62534 www.botleybaptistchurch.org

Calvary Chapel

Sunday services held at Botley School 10.30–12 noon

Pastor Philip Vickery 01865 864498

calvarychapeloxford@yahoo.co.uk;

www.calvarychapeloxford.org.uk

Sprout

December 2021

Thur 2nd 12.30, Seacourt Hall, Botley Seniors Lunch Club

Fri 3rd 2-3pm, Missing Bean, District Councillor surgery

Sun 5th 11am, Louie Memorial upper field, tree planting

Thur 16th Seniors Lunch club, as above.

Thur 16th 7.30pm, Seacourt Hall, N Hinksey Parish Council

meeting

Tues 21st 10am-4pm, Ss Peter & Paul, bring donations for

hampers

Sat 25th Christmas Day. Oxford Christmas Lunch at the

King’s Centre is happening again this year,

everyone welcome. See their Facebook page for

details.

January 2022

Wed 5th New restaurant opening at last at West Way shops

Thus 6th 3.45 on, Botley School, open event for new parents

Mon 10th 2.30, Dean Court Community Centre, U3A talk: Hugh

Granger on ‘The Art of Deception in WW2’

Mon 24th 2.30, Dean Court Community Centre, U3A talk: Chris

Perrins, ‘Swan Upping on the River Thames’

More local events and information on www.botleyhinksey.org.uk